Five Days in the Sun
choreography: Emanuel Gat
music: Gustav Mahler, Symphony n°5 in C sharp minor (movements 1-4), Wiener Philharmoniker, Leonard Bernstein (1987)
costumes: Vicher
additional sound creation: Emanuel Gat
technical director: Guillaume Fevrier
sound design: Frédéric Duru
company management: Marie-Pierre Guiol
production coordinator: Mélanie Bichot
duration: 75’
premiere: Festival Montpellier Danse, 2026.
dancers: Emma Bogerd, Théo Brassart, Geremia Cappagli, Léa Delaporte, Zohar Kotz, Itai Meir, Giulia Quacqueri, Johanne Skogstad, Katherina Solvang, Noah Tyrell, Anaïs Van Caekenberghe, Winter Wieringa
production: Emanuel Gat Dance
co-production: Montpellier Danse, Biennale Danza di Venezia, American Dance Festival, Festival de danse de Cannes, Pôle arts de la scène - La Friche Belle de mai, Theater Freiburg.
residencies: KLAP Maison pour la Danse, SCENE44 . n + n Corsino
Emanuel Gat Dance benefits from the support of Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication - DRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, of the Région Sud - Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and of the Conseil Départemental des Bouches du Rhône.
A rich tapestry of emotions and contrasts, “Five Days in the Sun” is moving from darkness to light, despair to joy and tension to release offering contrasts between solemnity and ecstasy, introspection and outward motion, drawing a sweeping narrative arc delving into themes of love, mortality, and transformation. Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, composed between 1901 and 1902, marks a significant evolution in his compositional approach, reflecting both personal experiences and a shift towards more abstract musical expression. In early 1901, Mahler suffered a near-death experience that profoundly influenced his perspective. Later that year, he met Alma Schindler. Their whirlwind romance led to marriage in March, 1902. His brush with mortality and newfound love—deeply impacted the emotional landscape of the Fifth Symphony. Departing from his earlier symphonies, which often incorporated vocal elements and explicit narratives, Mahler’s “Fifth” is purely instrumental and eschews a specific program. The music was conceived without external influences, aiming for a more abstract form of expression. “Five Days in the Sun” is a work for 12 dancers, developing over five acts and unfolding in an open space governed by a dynamic lighting storyline. The costumes by Inez Vicher, add to the layering and richness of this choreographic voyage, exploring transformation, resilience, and catharsis.
Emanuel Gat was born in Israel in 1969. His first encounter with dance was at the age of 23 during a workshop led by Nir Ben Gal. He started working as an independent choreographer in 1994. He founded Emanuel Gat Dance at the Suzanne Dellal Centre in Tel Aviv in 2004., following several outstanding creations: “Voyage d‘Hiver” and “Rite of Spring” in 2004, which received the Bessie Award in 2006. In 2007, he left to France, working at the Dance House in Istres. In 2013, Gat was named associated artist to the Montpellier Danse Festival, where he created “The Goldlandbergs” and “Corner Etudes”. In 2014, he created “Plage Romantique”, “Sunny” in 2016, and in 2017 “Tenworks”, in collaboration with the Ballet of Lyon Opera. He was also named associated artist to the National Theater of Chaillot in Paris in 2018, and during that same year he collaborated with the prestigious Ensemble Modern from Frankfurt. Gat’s work was presented in most of the leading venues and festivals all around the world for the past 25 years. Parallel to his choreographic work, Gat designs the lighting to all of his works, making it an integral component of his creative process. In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, Gat created “Lovetrain2020” to the music of Tears for Fears. The work has seen its premier between two lockdowns in October 2020, and received overwhelming response from audiences and critics alike, but also the prize of best dance performance of the year in France. Gat is currently associated artist to l’Arsenal - Cité Musicale, Metz. He is regularly invited to create or transmit pieces to prestigious companies such as the Paris Opera Ballet, Ballet of Lyon Opera, Sydney Dance Company, Royal Swedish Ballet, Polish National Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin, among others. During his entire career, he has developed an original pedagogical approach, thus he is regularly invited to teach and collaborate with the world's leading dance schools and institutions. Many of his works were presented at the Belgrade Dance Festival, with great success.
The closing Adagietto imposes a peace in tune with the music, yet far from it in the gesture. The entire Corum rose to acclaim the piece. Who else but Gat — decidedly singular in the dance landscape — still has the ambition of such a monument?
© Le Figaro
The dance becomes as stormy, solar and whirling as nature itself... That old refrain that ‘dance is the song of the body’ has rarely rung so true.
© Transfuge
Emanuel Gat illumine le Festival Montpellier Danse.
© Le Monde
In a packed house, the choreographer triumphed with a bold piece, danced to Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and with an entirely renewed team of dancers.
© actu.fr
